How To Grow And Care For Camellias

The South is the heart of camellia country. Indeed, common camellia (Camellia japonica) is even Alabama's state flower. Although it seems like these evergreen flowering shrubs, which are so well suited to our area, must have been born here, they actually hail from eastern and southern Asia. Camellias are members of the tea family, Theaceae, and bring beautiful blooms to our gardens during the cold months.

More than 3,000 named kinds of camellias exist in a remarkable range of colors, forms, and sizes. They are not browsed by deer, another plus point for life outdoors in the South. These beautiful shrubs—some grow as much as a foot a year to eventually form a small tree—can be planted in the fall through early spring in Southern gardens. Read on for more tips on planting and tending camellias.

Plant Attributes

Camellia Care

When it comes to planting time, spring or fall is fine for most areas. Spring is better in the Upper South, where the root system needs time to get established before the onset of cold weather. Be sure to mulch thoroughly to keep roots cool and the soil moist. Regular watering is critical during the first year, after which they can handle occasionally dry weather. Site them well in quality soil and they will provide years of enjoyment with little effort on your part. Camellias make a beautiful screen on the edge of your property or a striking specimen plant; keep in mind that if you plant one close to your house, pruning may become a regular task.

Light

In general, camellias grow and bloom best in filtered light or partial shade, with shelter from hot afternoon sun. This is especially true for young plants, which thrive under the shade of tall trees or when grown on the north side of a house. As they grow larger and their thick canopy of leaves shades and cools their roots, they gradually will accept more sun. Shade provided in winter reduces cold damage in the Upper South. C. sasanqua can take more hours of sun than C. japonica, but still prefers some protection during the afternoon hours. Camellias can thrive in dappled sunlight all day, but deep shade can result in thinning foliage and fewer blooms.

Soil

Camellias grow best in organically rich, well-drained, slightly acidic soils. Add organic matter if needed to improve soil texture or drainage. This plant does not tolerate alkaline soils, which can lead to low iron uptake and yellowing leaves. If you know your soil is alkaline, adding peat moss during planting can help make the soil more acidic. Have your soil tested by your local extension office and follow any recommendations for reducing or increasing the pH of your soil. Mulch around the plant to preserve moisture and modulate soil temperature, but do not pile soil on top of the camellia's roots.

Water

New plants should be watered regularly the first year or two. Established plants (over three years old, vigorous, and shading their own roots) get by with little supplemental water. If you do water them, make sure the soil is well drained. However, as buds form, make sure to supply supplemental water during periods of drought. Water thoroughly to moisten the entire root ball; then let the top of the root ball go slightly dry before the next watering.

Temperature And Humidity

Camellias prefer growing in warm, humid areas located in USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 7 to 9, or the Middle, Lower, and Coastal South. A few types of tea-oil camellia (C. oleifera) and its hybrids can withstand the winter temperatures in Zone 6. Excessive or prolonged cold snaps can cause bud drop in winter-blooming types. Shelter them from strong winds, particularly if you live on the edge of the Upper South or near the coast. They do not tolerate salt spray, so the coast is not ideal for camellia planting.

Fertilizer

Feed with an acid-forming azalea or camellia fertilizer in spring after the flowers have dropped; fertilize again in late spring or mid-summer if growth seems sluggish or foliage looks sparse and begins to lose its deep green color. Apply at the rate recommended on the label. Don't overdo it, as plants grown in fertile soil don't need a lot of fertilizer―and never feed plants that are sick or distressed.

The American Camellia Society recommends fertilizing in March, early May, and early July, choosing a fertilizer based on your needs. For younger camellias that you want to put out more growth, use a fertilizer with higher nitrogen like 12-4-8 or 10-10-10, while mature camellias require less nitrogen.

Types of Camellias

If you live in the Upper or Tropical South and have problems growing camellias, take heart: You can now enjoy hybrids that flourish in the extremes of weather found in both regions. Here are a few popular selections by species.

Tea-Oil Camellia (C. oleifera)

If you live in Zone 6 (the Upper South), C. oleifera and its hybrids will withstand temperatures as low as -15°F with little or no damage provided they have some shelter from winter sun and wind:

• 'Polar Ice': The semi-double white flowers of this cold-hardy variety appear from mid-fall into early winter.
• 'Winter's Charm:' This pink peony form produces layered, frilly blooms from October into December.
• 'Winter's Dream': Semi-double pink blooms surround bright yellow stamens. The long bloom season begins around October.
• 'Winter's Star': This hybrid bears single pink flowers in fall.
• 'Lu Shan Snow': This true tea-oil camellia bears single white flowers in fall and has attractive cinnamon-colored bark. 'Lu Shan' is often used in developing cold-hardy hybrids.

Common Camellia (C. japonica)

Also known as Japanese camellia, these shade-loving shrubs include selections that can perform well in parts of Florida or as far north as Zone 6. Nurseries sell a wide array of common camellias in a gorgeous range of colors, but here are some popular ones:

• 'Kramer's Supreme': This award-winning, vintage variety has bright red, sweet-scented flowers. The fully double, peony-form flowers appear in late winter to early spring.
• 'White By The Gate': This shrub's multi-layered, pure white blooms look formal enough for a wedding bouquet. It blooms from winter into spring.
• 'Debutante': This heat-loving variety can be grown in Zones 8 to 10 in the Tropical South, with peony-style blooms in a classic light pink.
• ‘Professor Charles S. Sargent’: This vintage variety is sometimes shortened to 'Professor Sargent.' Highly ruffled, fully double red blooms appear in late winter into early spring.
  
• 'April' series: Named for the time they typically bloom in the cooler, northern part of their range, these include varieties like 'April Blush,' 'April Dawn,' and 'April Tryst.' They are hardy to Zone 6.
  

Sasanqua Camellia (C. sasanqua)

If you'd like to think outside the seasonal box, try out fall-blooming camellias, also known as Sasanqua camellias (C. sasanqua). These species grow more compactly than common camellias, reaching about 10-12 feet tall and wide at maturity. They produce beautiful, glossy, green foliage and big blooms just as the rest of the garden is settling in for a long winter's nap.

• 'Alabama Beauty': The ruffled, rosy-red flowers of this Southern Living selection are some of the first to appear on fall-blooming camellias.
• 'Yuletide': The 'Yuletide' camellia can be grown as far south as Zone 10 and produces cherry red single blooms in winter.
• 'October Magic': This fall-blooming series from the Southern Living Plant Collection includes white, ruby, blush pink, pink-lined, crimson, and deep pink varieties, often with double blooms.
• 'Shishi Gashira': This variety is notable for its compact size (up to 5 feet tall) and hot pink, semi-double blooms in fall and early winter.

Pruning

Prune camellias soon after blooming has ended. Remove dead or weak wood; thin out growth when it is so dense that flowers have no room to open properly. Shorten lower branches to encourage upright growth; cut back top growth to make lanky shrubs bushier. When pruning, cut just above a scar that marks the end of the previous year's growth (often a slightly thickened, somewhat rough area where bark texture and color change slightly). Making your cuts just above this point usually forces three or four dominant buds into growth.

Propagating Camellias

Like many woody shrubs, camellias can be propagated by taking stem cuttings. Wait until late spring or early summer after flowering is over and new growth has begun to mature, and then follow these steps:

1. Cut a fresh stem five or six leaf nodes from the tip.
2. Cut the stem into 4-inch sections, with two sets of leaves on each section. Remove the bottom set of leaves
3. Dip the tip of each cutting into rooting hormone powder.
4. Insert each cutting into a 4-inch pot filled with damp, lightweight potting soil.
5. Cover each cutting with a clear, plastic bag, and place cuttings in a warm spot in bright, indirect light.
6. Moisten soil when it begins to dry out. Your new camellias will be ready to transplant once roots have mostly filled the pot. Depending on the time of year, you can also move your cuttings into larger pots and continue to grow to a more substantial size before transplanting.
7. Harden off new plants outdoors before planting them in the garden.

How To Grow Camellias From Seed

Camellias do not come true from seed, meaning that the resulting seedling often looks different from the parent plant. According to the American Camellia Society, superior camellias are rarely produced from seed. If you'd like to try growing one, though, harvest seeds when pods begin to crack slightly. Soak in water for 12 hours to aid in germination. Plant the seeds in a damp, high-quality soil, peat moss, or peat moss and sand mixture. Keep the soil damp and seeds will germinate in one month (results are best if seeds are planted immediately after harvesting). After germination, seedlings can be planted outdoors.

Potting And Repotting Camellias

Camellias are outstanding container plants whether you grow them outdoors on a terrace or indoors in a cool greenhouse. As a general rule, plant gallon-size camellias in 12- to 14-inch-diameter containers, and 5-gallon ones in 16- to 18-inch containers. Fill the container with a potting mix containing 50 percent or more organic material. Make sure the container has a generous drainage hole.

Overwintering

To promote winter hardiness in camellias, avoid fertilizing or pruning in the late fall, which can cause the plant to put out tender new growth just as temperatures are dropping. If you live in the Upper South, plant in a spot that is sheltered from strong winds. Camellias appreciate a layer of mulch to moderate soil temperature and moisture. While these plants can withstand temperatures down to 0, late-blooming camellias can lose flowers and buds to a hard freeze.

Common Pests & Plant Diseases

Tea scale is a common pest. These pests look like tiny brown or white specks on leaf undersides; sooty mold grows on the honeydew they secrete. Infested leaves turn yellow and drop. To treat tea scale, apply horticultural oil or a systemic insecticide such as acephate (Orthene) or dimethoate (Cygon), following label instructions. When honeydew-producing pests like tea scale and aphids cause sooty mold on the leaves, controlling the insect problem will allow the mold to eventually clear up.

Two fungal diseases are common. Camellia petal blight causes flowers to turn brown rapidly, then drop. Sanitation is the best control: pick up and destroy all fallen blossoms as well as infected ones still on the plant. Remove and discard any existing mulch, then replace it with a 1-inch layer of fresh mulch. Camellia leaf gall causes leaves to become distorted, pale, thick, and fleshy; they gradually turn white, then brown, then drop from the plant. The best control is to remove and destroy affected leaves.

Camellia dieback and canker is one of the most serious fungal diseases. Leaves suddenly turn yellow and wilt, and branch tips die. Gray blotches can appear on the bark, eventually developing into sunken cankers that girdle the stem. Avoid wounding the plant, and remove diseased twigs several inches below cankered areas, disinfecting your pruning tool between cuts. Applying a copper-based fungicide may help.

How To Get Camellias To Bloom

Bud drop is a frequent complaint. To some extent, this is natural for all camellias (many set more buds than they can open), but it also may be caused by overwatering, summer drought, or sudden freezes. Keep new camellias well watered to encourage buds to open. High-nitrogen fertilizers encourage the shrubs to grow more rapidly but may decrease blooming. Also, make sure you have sited the plant so that it gets the appropriate amount of sunlight—pruning a few branches on surrounding trees may allow more light to reach the plant if needed. And finally, remember that pruning removes flower buds from the plant when done too late in the year.

Common Problems With Camellias

Camellias are hardy, long-lived shrubs that can endure for years, weathering occasional attacks by fungal infections and pests. By keeping your plant in as healthy condition as possible, it can last for decades. Below are two common problems with the plants and how to solve them.

Scorched Leaves

Scorched and bronzed areas on the leaves usually indicate sunscald. Camellia foliage may also fade or turn slightly yellow in full sun. Plant in a shadier location and increase watering if the plant is frequently dry.

Yellow Leaves

Chlorosis (yellow leaves with green veins) results from planting camellias in neutral or alkaline soil; to correct, feed the plant with chelated iron and amend soil with sphagnum peat moss and/or garden sulfur to adjust the pH. It's normal for a few leaves to yellow and drop from the plant with age. Sometimes magnesium deficiency can cause chlorosis; have your soil tested and apply Epsom salt (typically 1 tbsp. per gallon of water) if recommended.